


Toil And Trouble

by LyricalKris



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Drama, F/M, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-21
Updated: 2012-06-11
Packaged: 2017-11-07 12:36:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/431271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyricalKris/pseuds/LyricalKris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The people of the 1600's believed in the monsters that haunted their nightmares. When witches are suspected to walk among them, the small town of Forkshire is torn apart, and the secrets of some of its residents brought to light.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fates-Love-Queen](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Fates-Love-Queen).



**Summary/Prompt used: The people of the 1600's believed in the monsters that haunted their nightmares. When witches are suspected to walk among them, the small town of Forkshire is torn apart, and the secrets of some of its residents brought to light.**

**If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this exchange visit the facebook group: Fanficaholics Anon: Where Obsession Never Sleeps or add the C2 to get all the stories direct to your inbox.  
fanfiction.net /community /FAGE_3some / 93625 /**

* * *

_**~Early 1600's, Forkshire, MA~**_

Isabella Swan hurried out her door, stepping onto the path long ago worn down by walking. For at least the hundredth time that morning, she stuck her hand into the pocket sewn into her apron, checking to reassure herself that the few coins her father had provided were still there.

Slowing down to a more ladylike gait, Bella looked around. She nodded politely at the others on the path, murmuring a "good morrow" when politeness required, but otherwise keeping to herself. It was only very recently that her father and Widow Cope - the woman who had been her nanny since her mother died when she was a baby - had allowed her to go to market on her own.

It only made sense, in Bella's way of thinking. There was more than enough for Widow Cope to do all on her own - running the Swans' household as she did. There was no reason that Bella couldn't walk to market to buy the supplies they needed. It was only a ten minute walk to the center of town after all, and Bella would be seventeen very shortly. She could easily make the necessary purchases, do all her chores, and still get to her lessons with Goody Goff in good time.

As the vendor's stalls came into view, Bella ticked off the items the household needed in her head. Winter was coming. The family's coats would need to be reinforced. Technically, her father Charles could use a whole new coat, but she didn't know if there was enough money to buy the necessary fabric.

"I'm afraid I've no need of your herbs today, sir," a familiar voice cut into Bella's musing. "My own gardens are plentiful this year."

Bella bit her lip, a pleased flush tinting her cheeks as she looked over to see the owner of the voice waving a friendly, if apologetic, goodbye to an elderly man trying to sell his wares - medicinal herbs among them. He tipped his Tricorn hat, taking a moment to try - unsuccessfully - to tame the unruly bronze hair beneath it.

She watched, a little jealous because though the majority of the town still treated her as if she was a little girl, they all looked on him as a grown man though he was only a year and a few scant months older than she. Bella shook the thought away as she went to stand beside him, having need of some item in the same stall as it were, trying not to notice inappropriate things like how tall and broad he'd grown. He would never be as wide in the shoulders as his elder brother, but his lithe frame was sturdy and strong.

"Would your mother appreciate you taking credit for the gardens she works in so tirelessly, Edward?" she teased lightly.

Edward's head snapped to the side, obviously surprised to see her there. Bella ignored the way her heart gave an odd little stutter when he grinned, apparently happy to see her. Then he seemed to gain control of his expression and cleared his throat, stepping a pace back from her.

"Good morrow, Mistress Swan," he said softly, nodding at her politely.

Bella's grin fell, and she turned quickly to examine the wares before her to hide her displeasure. She sighed inwardly, cursing her own disappointment.

It was still strange to hear Edward address her so formally. They'd known each other since she was about six. As Mrs. Cope was illiterate, Charles had sent his daughter to receive her primary schooling with Goody Cullen. Edward's mother had taught her two youngest children - Edward and his twin sister Alice - along with Bella for several years. They'd all played together until Edward and Alice turned 14. Then Edward had gone to apprentice under his father - the town's apothecary and doctor - and it had suddenly become inappropriate for them to be friends.

Ever since then, Edward, the same boy she'd climbed trees and wrestled with, the boy who had actually given her the nickname Bella because Isabella was too hard to say with two missing teeth, had grown very formal the few times they were able to socialize.

He cleared his throat again, seeming inexplicably nervous. "As it happens, I have quite a successful plot of my own in my mother's garden," he said gently.

They made inane conversation - Edward inquiring about her father and she inquiring about his family. Too soon, they had to hurry off - Edward back to his duties and Bella to her chores.

"Be safe, Mistress Swan," Edward said, walking beside her for a few steps.

Bella smirked slightly. "There's only so much trouble I can get into from here to my door. I shall survive, I believe."

Out of the corner of her eye, Bella thought she saw his lips turn up into a mischievous smile. "I seem to recall you have a particular talent for trouble," he said wryly. "Keep a wary eye. They say there are dark creatures in these woods."

At that Bella snorted. "The days are long gone when you could frighten me with scary stories. I don't believe in ghouls and witches."

An odd expression came over his face as they came to a fork in the road. He paused, looking at her straight on for the first time that morning. Bella thought she saw a terrible indecision in his eyes, but then her breath caught and her thoughts scattered as his hand rose. She stood completely still, hardly breathing as he righted the lopsided kerchief on her head, his smile small and tender. "All the same," he said, his voice low and smooth as he looked at her, "please be safe."

_**~0~**_

"Isabella."

Bella snapped to attention, her cheeks flushing a deep red because Goody Goff had caught her daydreaming. The elder woman sighed, hands on her hips as the other girls giggled. "I apologize, ma'am," she murmured demurely and asked that the question be repeated.

Well, it was hardly her fault. It seemed every time she had an encounter with Edward, her thoughts began to drift like dust in the wind.

At twelve she hadn't understood why the adults were so insistent that she and Edward could no longer be playmates. Since then, well... things had changed.

Most of the girls her age were all aflutter about boys. In spare moments, when they were not busy or the teacher was not listening closely, they gossiped about who was courting or who might be making eyes. Normally, Bella found this conversation tiring and dull, but Alice had piqued her interest more than once, casually mentioning that her brother had asked after her.

Occasionally, Bella would put words to the nameless anxiety that felt like butterflies had filled her belly. She often wondered, but dared not ask even Alice, if he'd ever thought to court her. Bella typically pushed away the thought as unlikely, but days like today, she couldn't help but wonder what Edward wished. According to Alice, he showed no interest in any of the towns available girls, which would have been a comfort if it hadn't included her.

Perhaps he was waiting. His apprenticeship with his father would end in the next year, and Edward would be free to make his own choices.

Before Bella could get far with that thought, a scream echoed outside. The girls and Goody Goff rushed to the windows to see what was going on.

_**~0~**_

Edward groaned, throwing himself down on the the chair beside the hearth. He kicked off his boots, stretching his toes in front of the fire.

His father chuckled, hanging his cloak over the back of the chair. "You're not ready to be on your own. Today was not difficult."

"Not difficult?" Edward scoffed. "Goodman Banner's leg was near sawed off. And that boil on the Weber child? How does that happen?"

Again Carlisle chuckled. "A walk in the park compared to some days I've had."

"Do I hear my men?" Esme called, walking in from the kitchen. "Ah. Here you are. Home again." She wrapped her arms around Carlisle's waist, giving him a kiss before she leaned down, kissing Edward's forehead. "Good evening, son."

"Mother," he greeted, grinning up at her. "Is Alice home?"

"She had a little time this afternoon. She wanted to attend her lessons," Esme said.

"Oh?" Edward replied, trying his best not to sound as interested as he was. "Did she happen to mention whom else would be attending?"

Before his mother could answer, the front door banged open. "Fa! Ma!" Alice called, obviously distressed. Edward straightened quickly, going to his sister and putting his arms around her.

"What is it Alice?" he asked urgently.

Alice's eyes focused when Edward shook her. "Irina. They've locked up Irina."

"Irina Prynne?" Esme asked. "For what reason?"

"They found her with Goodman Hunter. His wife - she's accused Irina of bewitching him."

Carlisle clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Not again," Esme said with a moan. "Those poor girls."

"Minister Lawman said there was no need to bother the county courts with this matter," Alice said, her voice harsh. "Forkshire has always been self governed, said he, and we are more than ready to deal with accused witches as the Lord sees fit. Her trial will be quick. Tomorrow."

"Trial," Carlisle scoffed disgustedly. "The last time that man put an innocent girl on trial, Irina's mother burned." He sat down heavily, wiping a hand over his mouth.

"Sasha," Esme remembered, putting a comforting hand on her husband's shoulder. "She was so kind to us when we first arrived."

"And I did not stand by her," Carlisle said quietly, regretfully.

"Fa," Edward said softly, addressing him as he had when he was still a child. He knelt before his father, looking up into his sad eyes. "You did what any father would. We were but babes. You had to protect us."

Alice put her arms around his shoulders. "What would we have done without our Fa?"

He smiled slightly, patting his daughter's hand tenderly. "No one else will stand for that girl," Carlisle said slowly.

"Much has changed since their mother was wrongly accused," Edward murmured. "We are no longer babes who need looking after. If the minister's eye is turned to this family, then so be it. We are strong, Father, and we are good. Our deeds will be our testament."

Carlisle appeared to consider this. He looked to his wife, questioningly.

"I think we will have to talk to Emmett and Rosalie first. If our family comes under suspicion, it will extend to his family," Esme said with a sigh. "But it is the right thing to do. They are our friends." She sighed again, tying her hair back under a kerchief. "Come. First thing, we should try to see her. If nothing else we can give Tanya and Katrina some measure of comfort."

~0~

As the church was the only building that could hold the majority of the townspeople, that was where Irina Prynne's mockery of a trial was held. As she glanced around the impromptu courtroom, Bella thought the town's Minister - Aro Lawman - had never commanded such numbers at Sunday mass.

It had been a decade and a half since the last cries of witchcraft were heard in Forkshire. It was a dark time resulting in the deaths of Sasha Prynne, her illegitimate son, Visilli, and three others.

Sasha had left behind three daughters, all of whom had grown into spectacularly beautiful women. Tanya and Irina were old enough that they remembered their mother, and perhaps that was why they seemed so separate from the others in town. They had not married - a fact which made many of the wives in town nervous as the girls were pretty enough that they turned many a head. The youngest sister, Katrina, was betrothed and typically kept her distance from her sisters. Today, though, she was sitting beside Tanya at the front of the church, their arms around each other.

"I swear by all that is holy, I am no witch, " Irina said, her voice strained. Bella's heart twisted. The beautiful woman looked worn and haggard. Her normally immaculate hair was shorn and dirty. "Please," she pleaded. "Were I a witch, I would have what I truly desired. My beloved Laurent... Goody Hunter sent him away. I... I was angry. It's true, I seduced her husband out of my spite, and for my adulterous acts I will gladly do what penance you require. But please, good minister. I am a sinner, not a monster."

Standing in her seat, her face contorted with fury, Victoria Hunter glared, her expression so malicious that Irina shrank backward though she was several feet away. "My husband would not betray me. You bewitched him! Good Minister," she addressed Aro. "He has no memory of lying with this witch."

"Calm, Goody Hunter. I have spoken at length with Goodman Hunter. Your case has been heard," Aro said mildly.

"Minister Lawman," came a steady voice from the crowd. Bella turned in her seat to see Carlisle Cullen walking down the aisle. "I would like to stand for Mistress Prynne. I've known her since she was but a child and can attest to her good character."

"Good character?" Victoria shrieked. "She has confessed to adultery. Many a good man has been seen coming away from her door yet all deny they have ever been."

"Goody Hunter," Carlisle interrupted, his voice firm. "A great wrong has been done unto you, of that no one protests. However, accusations of witchcraft are much too serious to be thrown out of righteous anger. Is there any proof -"

"Proof?" Victoria screamed. "Goodman Cullen, if my husband's word is not proof enough..." She looked to the minister. "Strip her bare before the town. You will find the mark of the witch on her body."

Another murmur went through the crowd and Irina cried out, falling to her knees with her head in her hands.

"Pray tell, Goody Hunter. Do you know what the mark of a witch looks like?" Carlisle's voice was noticeably harder as he spoke.

"That is enough," Minister Lawman spoke loudly, his voice echoing through the church. He shook his head, looking to the men on either side of him - his brother Caius and their brother-in-law Marcus Parris. "My brothers and I have all spoken to Irina at length." Another murmur rose through the church. That he would use her given name instead of addressing her respectfully was very telling. "Now, child. I have brought you before the town to give your confession as you gave to me last night."

Irina looked down. "Please, Minister... I... I was frightened last night. I am innocent. I swear it."

Carlisle stepped forward quickly, yanking Irina's shawl off. The townspeople gasped seeing that the back of the simple linen dress Irina wore was stained with stripes of red. Bella held her hand to her mouth. It was obvious her wounds were lash marks.

"Do you think, perhaps, her earlier confession may have been coerced?" Carlisle asked tightly. "Minister, I know you act to protect the good of the town. And doubtless, Mistress Prynne deserved to atone for her sin. Is this not punishment enough?"

For a moment, Aro's face was a mask of absolute rage. He stood, noticeably taking a deep breath before he spoke. "The instrument used during Irina's interrogation was blessed. Were she innocent, the Lord would not have allowed her to feel any measure of pain." He allowed a moment for that to set in with the crowd before he spoke again. "Now I can't help but wonder... is it just that you truly believe her innocence, Goodman Cullen? Or are you depending on it?" Aro asked slowly, tilting his head.

A murmur went through the church, and Carlisle actually took a physical step back in his shock. "What are you implying, Minister Lawman?"

Bella glanced across the way, seeing that Edward's jaw was tense with barely contained fury.

"I wonder if your association with this witch is more than simple friendship," Aro said, his voice ringing clear.

"It is true, Carlisle. When one stops to think, your family is very curious indeed," Caius agreed from Aro's right hand side.

Again Bella's eyes went to the Cullen family. Esme had a hand on Edward's shoulder, her eyes drawn. Bella could see that Carlisle's chest rose and fell in an uneven pace, but his voice was steady when he spoke. "Curious? My family?" He chuffed lightly. "My family is of no concern here -"

"That is for us to decide," Caius hissed. "Witches rarely come alone." He stepped forward, coming closer to Carlisle who stood his ground. "It is curious indeed that you argue so vehemently, even accusing my brothers and I of being overzealous. Our only wish is to protect the innocent people of Forkshire from suffering at the hands of the witch's craft."

"Pray be plain, Goodmen," Carlisle said, his teeth clenched. "What are you accusing me of?"

Stepping up, Aro put a hand on Caius's shoulder, drawing him backward. "No accusations, Goodman. My brother and I have known you since you came to this town years ago. You know... it's just a little strange. Despite having grown children, you and your wife have such a youthful appearance. Some might think that's out of the ordinary."

Carlisle's shoulders stiffened. "As you say, Minister, you and your brother have known me since I came to this town. Esme bore my son and daughter when we were hardly more than children ourselves, just barely out of our thirteenth year. My eldest son was born to my brother and his wife, who died of illness when he was very small, and we took him in. We look young simply because we are young."

"What I find of particular interest," Caius said, narrowing his eyes, " is that it was once thought that twins are a curse. They were said to be an omen of bad fortune. Natural punishment for witches."

The church was quiet save for Irina's soft weeping. Bella's eyes were on Edward, watching for some sign of reaction. He and Alice both looked furious, barely able to keep their mouths shut as they kept their arms around their mother between them.

When he spoke, Carlisle's voice had lost any semblance of the patience he had. "I assure you, good sirs, that is a myth well forgotten. My children, as all children, are gifts from God." His shoulders rose and fell as he breathed. His eyes landed pointedly on Aro. "Were that theory true, mine is hardly the only family that would be affected."

Bella did not understand what happened then. Aro's body went absolutely rigid. His stare, outwardly patient and - if Bella were being honest - arrogant, became utterly malevolent. He rose, coming to stand at his pulpit to the side of the dais. "Goodman Cullen," he began, his voice harsh. "While I appreciate your candor and this rather amusing display of naivety, you will now stand down. The witch confessed to me in this house of God. I will do as my Lord bids and put this sorceress to her rightful death."

The church was loud with the discussion that arose then. Tanya and Katrina both cried out. They would have risen to go to their sister, but Edward, Esme, and Alice were there, holding them back. Edward bent his head between them, speaking softly.

"This is madness," Carlisle protested, but Aro stepped right up to him. Whatever Aro said, Carlisle's features blanched. He gave one short, reluctant nod and turned abruptly, going to his family and the two grieving sisters.

Looking grim, Bella's father Charles and Goodman Marks, acting as the town's constables, dutifully pulled Irina up between them, leading her outside to the town square to face her fate.

* * *

**A/N: As this is a gift, the whole story will be uploaded by the end of the day! Hope you enjoy.**

**Endless thanks to jfka06, barburella, jadedandboring, bmango and Alby Mangroves.**

**  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Post 2/6**

* * *

"Son, if you grind those herbs any finer, they will be gone," Carlisle said mildly.

Setting down the mortar and pestle in his hands, Edward made an effort to unclench his teeth. "I apologize, Father. I suppose I was lost in thought."

Carlisle nodded, returning to his ledgers. "Today has been a good day. I need to see Michael Newton, but there should be no complications there. His arm is healing nicely. Why don't you take a little time for yourself, Edward?"

"Time for myself," Edward repeated, his words scathing. "With Aro's stooges prying into every waking moment of our lives?"

"I have told you before, Edward. They will get disinterested soon enough. We live our lives honestly," Carlisle replied by rote.

"Aye, if honesty had anything to do with it, none of this would be happening," Edward growled.

It had been weeks since the mockery of a trial, and Irina's death. The passing time had not been easy. On top of the frustration and sadness that they'd been unable to save Irina, Aro had threatened Carlisle in no uncertain terms that if he did not keep his silence, his family would be considered suspicious.

Though Carlisle had grudgingly relented in his defense of Irina - she was put to death too quickly for any counteraction to be carried out - the Minister still saw fit to harass the Cullen family. Besides having Aro, his brothers, and his underlings prying into their business - they'd even gone as far as to confiscate their store of bloodroot, hemlock, and nightshade - many of the townspeople looked on the family suspiciously. Whispers followed them wherever they went, and more than one lifelong friend had suddenly found excuses that kept them from calling, or waving hello, or otherwise acknowledging that the Cullens existed at all.

"Take a walk by the river." Though his voice was gentle and even, Edward understood that he should not mistake his father's words for a suggestion. "It will clear your head, and you should have some measure of privacy."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Edward took a deep breath. "Perhaps you're right," he allowed. "If it pleases you, Father, I will take my leave."

Hanging his apron, Edward donned his hat and cloak, leaving his father alone in the shop. He walked through the town deep in thought, his head down so he did not have to acknowledge the sidelong looks and whispers. Perhaps he would be seen as rude, not waving to those who would greet him, but he did not care at that particular point.

When he reached the edge of town, Edward looked over his shoulder. Satisfied that the townspeople were going about their own business and not his, he slipped into the anonymity of the forest.

Cut off from the world, Edward's anger dwindled as he walked, becoming frustration and sadness. Injustice was a difficult subject to grapple with, and there was some guilt inherent in knowing with certainty that Irina was not a witch when-

Hearing a branch break behind him, Edward slipped a hand to the belt at his waist, fingering the handle of the dagger he kept hidden there. Someone had followed him into the forest.

He continued on as if he had heard nothing, drawing the dagger out as he walked. The further from Forkshire, the better. If someone were to attack him, the townspeople would not take his word that he had not been the aggressor. It was a sorry state, but it was reality.

Picking up his pace slightly, Edward took shelter behind a thick tree and waited. Sure enough, not even a minute passed before footfalls approached. They slowed and stopped, as if confused about where he'd disappeared. Edward chose that moment to attack.

Darting out from behind the tree, Edward reached out, grabbing the arm of the person who'd followed him and propelling them backward. He pressed them up against the trunk of his hiding place, dagger in his other hand, before he registered the wild gasp and the very feminine little cry as he pushed his follower roughly.

Startled, Edward immediately stumbled backward several steps, dropping the dagger to the forest floor when he found himself looking in frightened eyes the color of cinnamon. "B... Mistress S-Swan," he stuttered. "Please forgive me. I thought... well. I thought you were someone else."

Bella stood still for a moment, catching her breath. Her rigid posture relaxed and she took a step away from the tree. "When you told me there are ghouls and witches in the forest, I thought you were sporting. Pray tell, do you actually believe those children's tales, Edward?"

He laughed, the sound bitter in his own ears. "Have you not heard, Mistress Swan? The town is rife with monsters."

"Aye," Bella said, her expression tight along her lips and the creases of her eyes. "I know the good Minister peers into the homes and hearts of the townspeople, looking for sin and corruption where there is none. I know there is a list he thinks he keeps well secret: of men, women, and little children that he may brand as evil. And I know that for your father's brave deed, your family has known nothing but strife these past weeks." She took another slow step toward him. "I have I told you before, I do not believe in monsters."

Edward chuffed, his smile sad as he continued to stare down at their feet. "All the same, Mistress Swan -"

She growled before he could finish his sentence. The sound made him want to smile. She had always been so fierce, even when they were both small. When they were children, she had no concept that women were supposed to be the weaker sex. Though he was several years older than she, Bella had often thrown herself fearlessly at Edward's older brother, Emmett. Adoring Bella like she was his little sister, Emmett had always played along, letting her 'wrestle' him to the ground.

"Edward, there's no one around to notice your impropriety. I promise, if you address me by my name, I shall not be offended."

He couldn't help his smile then. "Bella," he amended, unable to help the way her name came out like it was precious to him.

She was precious to him.

"You cannot be seen with me, for so many reasons," he said, trying to be stern. In reality he was pleased for whatever minutes he had. For years, they'd seen each other only in passing.

"As I said, there is no one here. Goody Cope believes I've gone calling, and she is occupied besides with her gossip," Bella said, shaking her head indulgently. "I needed to see you. I needed you to know that you still have friends in Forkshire, even if half the town seems to have gone completely mad."

He sighed. "Come. There is an outcropping of rocks yonder. If you're going to insist on staying, we may as well be comfortable."

They walked a short distance, keeping some space between them. Edward took her hand to help her up onto the rock, his grip lingering a beat longer than entirely necessary. Then he sat facing her.

"I would not have intruded on your solitude," Bella apologized. "I was worried. Alice has not attended lessons in these many weeks."

"We all thought it best to keep our socializing to a minimum," Edward responded. "Many are uncomfortable with our presence. Besides that, it would be unendurable if any of our friends came under this same suspicion."

He wondered if she could guess at the double meaning of his words.

Since he came of age and women became, well, intriguing to him, when he dreamed of coming home to a wife of his own, it was Bella he saw. It was amazing, if a little inappropriate, the feeling of rightness that settled over his being when he thought of quiet evenings by the fire, or, God help him, he imagined her belly heavy with their child.

Especially in the last few weeks, it had become readily apparent to him that he had no right to those thoughts. He had once dared to imagine that he could protect Bella from his world, that they could live something approaching a normal life. Now, though, with their very association potentially putting her in danger, he could see his folly. He knew from his parents' stories what happened to friends of suspected witches. Guilt be association was the norm.

"Why are you so certain witches do not exist?" Edward asked a while later, after listening to Bella castigate the church and the ignorant townspeople alike for their belief in monsters.

She appeared to ponder his question for a moment. "Verily, it seems to me a great curiosity that people's tall tales of witches and warlocks differ so greatly and seem to get more terrifying with every retelling." She tapped her lips. "My father, when he has occasion to fish, may come home that same eve and say he nearly netted a small fish who moved too fast from his snare. Yet to hear him tell the tale again, to his acquaintances or worse, to our widowed neighbor, the fish becomes akin to a great beast." She shook her head fondly.

"I would say, if there were such thing as witches, there is no defense for a lack of common sense. Men, women, and creatures alike should be judged not for what they are, but what they do. Irina, God rest her soul, had long lived in this town, and while it's true her morals left much to be desired, I doubt it took much more witchcraft than her parting legs to lure Goodman Hunter to her bed."

"Isabella!" Edward cried, somewhat scandalized.

Her cheeks flushed crimson and she looked abashed. "I am sorry to speak so plainly. The matter has me quite vexed. Irina spoke the truth. It was a matter of gossip for months that she was sweet on the Hunter family's manservant, Laurent - he whom Goody Hunter felt fit to send away. Were she really skilled in witchcraft, she would have had Laurent to herself, or at the very least worked her magic against Goody Hunter directly."

Edward couldn't contain a sudden fit of mirth. "I am sorry. This is no laughing matter. Even among menfolk your candor would be shocking."

Bella frowned and sighed. "My father will have a challenge finding me a husband, I think," she said ruefully.

Despite the voices that rang in his head, telling him the hundred reasons he should not be doing this, Edward gave in to his urge to touch her. It was a battle he fought and lost nearly every time they were near each other. He would argue that the touches, mere brushes of his skin against hers, were innocent, but the church and the general sense of propriety would be quick to disabuse him of that idea. Wishing he'd thought to put more distance between them, Edward reached out, pressing the pad of his thumb lightly against her chin.

"I hope your father is wise enough to find you a husband worthy of hearing all that you have to say," he murmured softly.

Her eyes were wide and locked on him. Perhaps ironically, she seemed to have nothing to say to his declaration. Edward forced himself to close his eyes, standing and taking a number of steps away. Even behind his eyelids he could see her open, pouting lips - so inviting, so tempting.

"The hour grows late, Mistress Swan," he said regrettably. "We should return before we are missed.

"The sun has gotten low," Bella allowed, her voice far away and light as a feather. She slipped down from the rocks without his assistance. "Edward?"

His eyes went to hers. "Yes?"

"Do you think... I know this is most impolite to suggest, but I have missed our conversation. Even before all of this, I have missed being your friend," she said softly, addressing the forest floor. "Might we meet again? Like this?"

He knew he should deny her request. Many men would go so far as to say it was his duty to chastise her for her errant ways. A woman could not be expected to know right from wrong, and it was a man's duty to guide her - though that should be left to her father or husband.

Edward scoffed to himself. Bella had proven in the short time they'd spent together that she knew more right from wrong than the majority of men in the town, including the dear minister who should be so close to God.

Still, there were so many other reasons he should say no. Instead, he found himself again giving in to the urge to run his fingers down her cheek. "We shall try."

_**~0~** _

Their clandestine meeting was not to be. It was only a few days later that Bella, on her way to market again, heard a terrible cry. Her heart sped, all thoughts of her purchases forgotten as she ran quickly in the direction of the commotion.

Pushing through the small crowd that had gathered, Bella was startled to find Esme Cullen on her knees before a scowling Maria Whitlock. "Please," Esme cried, tears streaming down her face. "Please, Goody Whitlock, I beg you. Be reasonable."

"Reason?" Maria spat back. "My son lies near death at your daughter's hand, and you beg me to recant my accusation?"

"My Alice was at my side all day long," Esme said. "She cares for your son. He is beloved of my family. Why would she want to see him dead?"

"What want indeed," Maria said, bursting into tears. "My intention was to forbid Jasper to seek your daughter's hand. She knew. And she knew of his fall without ability to see him. How could she know unless she bade it to come to pass?" Maria looked at the growing crowd, mad with grief and worry. "Let this stand as proof. Alice Cullen is a witch, and my child, my son, may suffer death because she has too long been allowed to walk among us."

"No!" Esme wailed, covering her face in her hands.

Narrowing her eyes, Bella stepped out of the crowd, intent on going to Esme. "Child," a gruff voice grabbed her arm, attempting to restrain her. "Do not -"

"Goodman Black, you will let me go," Bella said forcefully. She wrested her arm away from William Black, one of her father's friends, and stepped to Esme's side. "What is wrong with you all that you would leave a mother to suffer with no measure of comfort?" She knelt next to Esme, putting her arms around the older woman.

"Her daughter has killed my son!" Maria protested.

"Doubtless Goodman Whitlock is in the hands of Doctor Cullen and his son, is he not?" Bella challenged, going out on a limb.

Maria grimaced. "There was no choice..."

"While I do not accept that Alice would knowingly cause harm to a cat, let alone a man she was smitten with, the fact remains that her actions are not that of her parents," Bella interrupted. "Go. Pray for your son. It will be of more use than torturing another wounded mother."

Ignoring the shouts of the crowd, Bella turned her attention to Esme. "Come. Let us stand. My home is closer, and you can tell me what happened," she whispered.

Esme nodded through her miserable tears, letting Bella help her to her feet. With her arm protective around the other woman, Bella led her through the quieted crowd. By the time Bella sat the grieving mother down in front of the fire and brought her water to drink, Esme had calmed considerably. She still wept but not uncontrollably so, and she was able to tell her story.

It seemed that Esme and Alice were going about their morning chores when the girl had suddenly and vehemently insisted they call on Peter and Charlotte Damon in town. Once out the door, Alice ran. When Esme caught up Alice was begging Peter to go off into the forest after Jasper. Though she had not seen him in several days, she somehow knew that he was hunting. Further, she claimed that Jasper had been hurt, tumbling off a short cliff to the rocks below.

Esme and Charlotte both expressed concern. Though he thought she was being a silly child, Peter had eventually agreed to go after Jasper, if only to bring the perplexed, worried women peace of mind. Alice had further given him precise directions, and Peter set off on horseback. Well over an hour later, he had returned with Jasper's battered, bloodied, barely alive form slung unconscious on the horse in front of him.

Paled to an almost bone white, Peter told the story how he'd followed Alice's directions and found Jasper exactly where she indicated. Except, he wasn't injured when Peter first laid eyes on him. He was up in a tree, stretched out on a sturdy branch overlooking a meadow where a deer fed. As Peter rode closer, there was a terrible snap, almost as loud as thunder, and Jasper fell from the tree onto the rocks well below.

Upon hearing the tale, Maria had immediately turned on Alice, screaming that she was a witch and had somehow caused Jasper's fall.

"It happened so fast," Esme lamented. "We were outside and then Minister Lawman was there," she sobbed. "They took her. They took my girl to the cellar of the church..." her voice cracked and Bella's heart broke for the woman who had been as close to a mother as she had ever known.

"There now, it will be alright. It has to be alright," Bella said numbly, though she knew the odds of that were slim. After what had happened to Irina, she was terrified for her friend.

For lack of anything better to do, Bella made hot tea and started a hearty stew. Once Esme was settled in the house, Bella caught the attention of the two playing Weber boys. She gave them each a sweetmeat and bade them fetch Emmett and Rosalie Cullen who lived just outside of town.

It was slightly better when Widow Cope arrived. Much as Bella tried to sympathize, Shelly Cope actually had children and had lost them to illness, so she knew something of the pain Esme was experiencing. She held the younger woman and whispered words of comfort, urging her to find her strength.

As night fell, Carlisle and Edward arrived. Carlisle went straight to his wife, but Edward did not even take off his cloak, instead beginning to pace the small entry hall restlessly. Not wanting him to be alone, Bella came to stand by the wall, watching him helplessly.

"Jasper will live," he murmured gravely. Then he gave a mirthless laugh. "He strains himself, trying to tell his mother that he would have eloped with Alice had she denied him permission to court her. Alice knew this. There was no reason for her to act out against him. But Maria -" he said the name scathingly, without the respectful title, "insists he is bewitched. He would never act against her as such of his own volition." He scoffed, shaking his head. "Aye, Jasper survives under our care and yet she accuses my sister of witchcraft?"

Incensed, Edward charged into the main room where Esme and Carlisle sat with their heads bent together.

"How can we sit here when she languishes in the darkness?" Edward demanded. "You know what they are doing to her, beating her and who knows what else."

Esme gave a tormented cry, her head in her hands.

"Edward, that is enough!" Carlisle chastised, taking his wife under his arm.

Pounding his fist down, Edward leaned across the end table. "How can we do nothing, Father?"

Carlisle glared at his son, his jaw hard and his normally tranquil blue eyes agonized. "What would you have me do, Edward? To act now is to condemn your sister with certainty . Then what?" He took a deep breath. "She is but a child. The Minister will see reason. He will not sentence her to death without the support of the town."

"You are blind! Aro wants your head for what secrets you keep for him," Edward insisted. "All he needs is an excuse and now he has one."

"Enough!" Carlisle shouted.

Waving his hand at his father, Edward turned and stormed away. Acting on impulse, heart completely broken for her friend and this family, Bella followed quickly after him.

Out behind the house, Edward was pacing, his hat long forgotten in the mud as he muttered under his breath. Bella paused, feeling the unbearable energy rolling off him. He looked not unlike a great, wild cat - his graceful body poised for destruction. His expression was feral, as if he was moments away from ripping something apart.

Angry as he was, Bella was not afraid. She put herself in his path and he stopped short. For a moment he was made of fury and looked like he might strike her without truly seeing her. Then he crumpled to his knees, his head in his hands as he knelt forward.

Bella stepped to him, running her fingers through his hair with a tender touch. He paused only a moment before leaning his head against her, clinging for a time as he tried to calm the urge to cry. Bella tugged at his arms and he stood at her encouragement, wrapping her tightly against him.

They stood like that for an immeasurable length of time, just holding each other. Bella half expected her nursemaid or Edward's parents to come and force them apart, but neither did. She was glad. As inappropriate as their actions may have been, it would be physically painful not to offer what little comfort she could.

After a few minutes, Edward sighed and backed up. He took her face in his hands, wiping away her tears with the pads of his thumbs. "Bella..."

"Yes, Edward?" she murmured, holding his hands in place with her fingers wrapped around his wrists.

His eyes, tormented as they were, also held a measure of hope. "Bella... if you..." He swallowed hard. "Would you..." He closed his eyes, leaning his forehead gently against hers. "No. Ignore me."

Before she had a chance to probe him again, someone called his name gruffly from the back door. They both looked up to see Emmett Cullen, his normally cheerful face dour - almost frightening on this beast of a man.

Edward let out a long breath. "Emmett. Thank God."

Emmett looked up at Bella, a small smile quirking his lips. "Thank you for caring for my family, little Bell," he said sincerely, calling her by the nickname he'd had for her since she was a child. "I will take them home."

Bella spared a hug for each of the Cullens in turn as they left. With nothing else to do, she sank to her knees, praying for Alice and her family with everything she had.

That was how her father found her when he finally came home. She heard his ragged sigh as he sank into his customary seat.

"Was it you, Fa?" she had to ask.

"Was it me?" he repeated, confused.

She stood to face him. "Was it you who took Alice Cullen away from her mother's arms?" she asked, her voice more harsh than she wanted it to be.

His eyes held warning but he let her impertinence slide. "I was trading today," he said simply. "I only heard of Alice Cullen when I came into town but half an hour ago."

"You would have, though. If they would have called on you," she pressed. There was some part of her that needed a place to direct her anger at the injustice that had befallen her friend.

Charles looked down at his hands, his cheek twitching. "It is the duty I'm sworn to but... I would not have liked it in this case. I pray that the minister makes the right choices." He looked up finally, his eyes sad as he took in his daughter's form. "If a family like the Cullens and a girl as young as Alice is not above reproach, I fear for this town."

_**~0~** _

Edward tried hard not to grind his teeth as he waited for his sister to be led in. Carlisle touched his arm, the look in his eyes urging calm. It would help no one for Edward to act out before a verdict could be delivered. Still, Edward had a feeling things would go from bad to worse today.

Of course, Edward wanted to believe his father was right. In a small town such as they lived, every member of the community was valuable. The Cullens had always pulled their weight. One could argue they worked harder than most at times when sickness plagued the town. If the public opinion toward them was positive, Aro would not risk his own popularity by putting a young girl to death.

Then again, the Cullen family had not been above suspicion these last few weeks. Of all of them, Alice had always seemed odd to the townspeople. It was likely the reason Maria Whitlock would seek to forbid Jasper from courting her.

The mood in the church was more frightened than anything else. The idea of witches didn't bode well with the ignorant townspeople. By then, everyone had seen or heard of Jasper's wounds, which were extensive. They all knew Jasper and Alice were sweet on each other. If they believed her capable of causing that kind of damage to one she loved, they feared what she would do to the rest of them.

What they feared was nothing compared to what Edward would do if the minister sentenced his sister to death.

As if sensing his roiling anger, his mother worked to unclench his tense fingers and wound them with hers. He offered Esme a small smile. She never gave up on the inherent goodness in people, fervently believing that they would see the right way. Edward had the feeling his mother's heart would be crushed today in more ways than one.

Across the church, he caught Bella's eyes. She was looking on him, on his family, with such tender sympathy that for a moment Edward's heart ached. She was a safe harbor, but she could not keep his family safe from the vicious lies that were about to be spread.

There was a plan. It was a desperate last resort, but it was something. It was the only thing keeping Edward tethered to his sanity. That fact was doubly true when he first saw his sister.

Alice was nearly limp as she was led between Constable Marks and a young man named Tyler Crowley. Charles Swan, having stepped down from his normal duties, claiming a need to tend to his fields rather than be at the church, was not present. The two impromptu law men all but dragged their charge to the front of the church, murmurs going up all around them.

Her midnight black hair had been shorn to the nape of her neck, the dark strands standing in stunning contrast to her too-pale skin. When the constable and the boy let go of her, Alice swayed and fell forward onto her hands and knees as the crowd gasped.

"Oh, my girl," Esme murmured, her hand to her mouth. "What have they done to you?"

Aro, sitting on the dais between his brothers, frowned and gestured to the constable to get her back up again. They did, seating her in a chair as she swayed. Edward closed his eyes, sending strength to his twin, however fruitlessly. Still, her head rolled backward and she caught his eye. He winked at her, erasing all signs of trouble from his face. Alice grinned, sitting up a little straighter.

As the trial went on, it was clear Aro was trying to trap Alice into admitting to sorcery. It was a mockery. Edward knew quite well it mattered not what Alice said. What was happening was no trial, but Aro and his brothers looking for an excuse to convince the townspeople it was right to put such a young girl to death.

Eventually, he would find one.

Edward could see the moment when it all got to be too much for Alice to bear. She had been tortured and interrogated and had borne that without giving Aro what he wanted. An hour into the trial, Alice rose to her feet.

"Tell me plainly, Minister Lawman," Alice spoke, her voice light but steady. "It matters not that you have known me since I was in swaddling clothes. It matters not that for all of my 18 years, save for the usual transgressions of childhood, I have been a dutiful daughter and have never been recalcitrant in my place in this town. Tell me what it is I've done wrong. Jasper Whitlock  _lives_ because I knew where he was, not because I led him there."

"How is it, child, that you knew?" Aro countered. "If you can see the future, then you can manipulate it to your own gain. Tell us true, young one. Give us one reasonable explanation to satisfy our quest for logic and truth so that we may, in good conscience, restore your good name before the town," he implored.

Edward tensed, knowing there was no logical explanation. The truth would damn not only Alice, but the majority of their family as well. He reached up to turn his hat a few degrees, a signal to his brother whom he knew to be standing by the open door of the church.

When she spoke, Alice's voice was strong and she stood up straight to address the council. "There are many things I know. I knew it the same way I knew Goodman Garrett's crops would flourish this year if he purchased his seed from that travelling vendor. I knew the Masens would die with or without my brother's assistance, but if he went along with our father, he'd have taken ill and died with them. I knew Jasper would fall the same way I know your brother and your wife share each other on your bed when you are called away to minister to the sick."

"The little witch lies!" Caius exclaimed, standing and pointing at Alice as his face turned into an ugly scowl. "Enough of this, Brother. She has confessed to knowing events before they happen. This child belongs to the devil."

Aro stood, taking a step off his dais , closer to Alice. "To accuse a minister's wife of infidelity is too much. You go too far, girl."

"I've not gone far enough!" Alice shouted over the din of the crowd, her tone angered. "While you speak of truth, tell your congregation why you are so eager for Salem's minister to visit next month," she challenged. "There is hardly a person in this town that does not harbor some secret. By deed, I am not wicked, Minister. I am merely insightful."

A great cry went through the crowd, and Edward could barely hear the Minister's next words, though he could guess from the infuriated expression he wore. "Take the girl back downstairs!" he commanded the constable and Tyler Crowley. "The only redemption I can offer you, Alice Cullen, is a journey back to the hell you came from with all godspeed."

Edward stood quickly, climbing agilely onto the pew. "Aro Lawman!" he shouted. "If there is a demon in this church, it is surely not my sister!"

His distraction worked perfectly; everyone was looking at him. It gave Emmett and Esme enough time to throw down the vials Edward had prepared for them, the sound of glass shattering hard against the floor of the church. Great clouds of smoke welled, tinged red for effect. The smoke served its intended purpose, throwing the room into a panic.

"Alice!" Edward called, slinging his sister's satchel, and hopefully all the supplies she needed for escape, into the air toward her. Alice caught it easily, shrugging off her would-be captors with a quick spell that shocked them, throwing them to the ground. They'd all hoped it would not come to this, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Just before the smoke could swallow the room entirely, Edward's eyes fell for a brief moment on Bella. Her eyes were wide with surprise instead of fright and trained directly on him. His heart ached, knowing he had betrayed her in his silence.

He had no time to dwell as people surged around him. He ducked the arm coming toward him, recognizing it was Conner Larson who tried to attack. He shouted a spell and a loud crack sounded through the room. It was for show more than anything else, but the townspeople didn't know that. They groaned and cowered, crying that there were demons surrounding them.

Edward fought his way forward, using shocking and stunning spells, hoping desperately that no one was hurt by the pandemonium that surrounded them. When he emerged from the church, he counted every member of his family and finally breathed a sigh of relief. They nodded at one another, assuring each other that they were all fine.

And then they promptly vanished from sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Surprise?


	3. Chapter 3

In the aftermath of the Cullens' dramatic exit, Bella only felt numb. She emerged from the church unscathed, watching the people around her.

It was such melodrama, under different circumstances Bella would have laughed. They were all in a panic, checking themselves and each other over for signs of demon possession. Suddenly, the Cullens were being blamed for every malady, pre-existing or not. Women and menfolk alike were wringing their hands, wondering where the next attack would come from.

As for Bella, she was reeling. It was not rare to hear stories of supernatural beings, and less rare still to hear of the devils creations: demons and witches. Practical as she was, she hadn't believed in such things since she was a child. To find out it was true at the same time she found out that the Cullens, whom she'd spent considerable time with since she was small, were among those creatures was somewhat daunting.

"You see. You all see now!" Maria Whitlock was screaming, an increasing crowd gathered about her. "I told you she bewitched my son. I told you all."

Unable to listen to any more, Bella stood and made her way quickly to the Whitlock house where she knew Jasper lay convalescing. She knocked, but the door came open easily. "Jasper?"

She heard a noise toward the back of the house and followed it, distraught enough that she didn't give the rules of propriety even a passing thought as she entered Jasper's bedroom.

"Who's there?" he asked, his voice scratchy and tired, muffled by the bandages that covered his normally pretty face.

"I don't mean to disturb. It's me, Bella Swan," she said softly.

"Mistress Swan," he said, sounding inexplicably relieved. "Please, tell me about Alice. What have they done to her? What's happened?"

"She is safe, as far as I know. She and her family..." she trailed off, not knowing whether the news would disturb him.

But Jasper only let out a gust of breath, settling back on his pillows. "Thank God." There was silence between them for a moment before he spoke again. "They had to reveal themselves."

It was not a question. "Yes," Bella confirmed anyway, shocked for the second time in an hour. "You knew what they were."

Jasper turned his head and though he was sightless, the bandages covering his eyes, she still felt he was glaring at her. "I know  _who_ they are," he corrected. "And yes, I've known for a while now of their talents. Alice told me when I told her I was intent on marrying her."

"Please don't misunderstand my surprise," Bella said quickly. "Each and every one of the Cullen family are dear to me, and that has not changed." She sighed, looking down at her hands. "The world has changed, and they are gone."

He lifted his hand, stretching his palm out as if searching for her. Hesitantly, Bella put her hand in his. "Alice and I knew the risks... the way their family lived, hiding that part of themselves. I knew that it would become part of my life if I chose to be with her, but that's the choice we make for the people we love. Esme made it, and Rosalie as well."

"What do you mean?" Bella asked.

"Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie - none of them have the... aptitude, if you will. Emmett was born into a family of witches, but Rosalie and Esme chose to be with them." He squeezed her hand, sighing. "What wickedness is that, I ask you? They are a family who love each other well. They serve this community. They are good friends, yet all those fools out there will only see what they are capable of. Oh, it's true enough that they could do harm, if that was their choice, but so could I, proficient as I am with my weapons. Even you, with your dainty hands," he squeezed her fingers, "are capable of maiming or killing."

"It is infuriating," Bella said, realizing in that very moment that her words were true. She was furious. After everything the Cullens had done for their community, the whole town had turned their backs. Worse than that, they spoke ill of the doctor and his son who had brought their children into the world, mended their breaks, and healed them of their illnesses. They dragged the Cullen family name through the mud, defaming a woman who went out of her way to be kind to her neighbors...to complete strangers, if they were in need. And Alice...

Yes, Alice had always been a little strange, but she was also very sweet. She was kind and loyal. A good daughter. A good friend. And while the town still looked on Bella as no more than an innocent child, her friend - so slightly elder- was being called a demon.

If Bella had known, she considered that her first instinct would have been to wonder what good Alice could do, not to first think of the evil her power could cause. She recalled Alice's words in court - how she'd advised Goodman Garrett on his crops and how she predicted Edward would die if he tended to the Masens. She'd certainly saved Jasper's life.

It only reaffirmed Bella's firm belief that all beings should be judged only on their actions.

"I cannot stand idly by," Bella said, suddenly restless. "There must be something..."

"No. No," Jasper said, holding her hand tighter. "There's nothing you can do. Don't underestimate how powerful the emotions of ignorance and fear can become when multiplied by a crowd." He chuffed. "My mother tells me often of how horrible it was to live through the last time - how neighbors and life-long friends looked on each other with suspicious eyes. Yet here she is, waving accusing fingers." He shook his head. "They will not see reason in this atmosphere. The Cullens can never come back to Forkshire."

"Someone should give them a voice," Bella insisted, frustrated.

"I will tell you a secret, Isabella Swan, because I believe you have the right to know," Jasper said slowly. "When Alice and I spoke of what the future would bring, she saw you there with us. She considered you a sister, always."

Bella was taken aback. "Why... why would she think that?" she asked, startled.

Jasper gave a laugh, groaning because the movement caused him pain. "Isabella," he said finally. "If you do not know how sweet Edward Cullen is for you, you are more blind than I am at the moment." He breathed deeply, his words becoming slurred with exhaustion. "Believe me, no one thirsts for Aro Lawman to pay for his transgressions as much as I, but we are both too weak to go against him for the time being. To stand up to him now would only mean your death. For Edward's sake, if for no one else, keep your silence. If there is one thing I have learned from Alice, it's that the future is unpredictable."

_**~0~**_

Bella tried to do as Jasper bade her, but it was difficult. She was confused and furious. Nothing was the same as it had been when she'd awaken that morning.

She slipped out of the Whitlock house, keeping her head down as she wandered through the town. The atmosphere was oppressive. The streets were strangely quiet, any who were out and about keeping to themselves as they walked quickly to get where they were going. No one smiled or waved. If they did look up, it was only to cast suspicious eyes.

Passing a pair of gossiping old biddies on the porch, Bella heard the Cullens' names being whispered with venom. She ground her teeth, forcing herself to keep on moving rather than remind Goody Stanley of how Esme had visited her, tending to her tasks for months on end when the woman was recovering from the loss of her babe.

Finally safe in her own home, Bella set about her chores. Widow Cope gave her space, not trying to draw her into conversation. The house was unnaturally silent, as if they both were moving through a haze. Widow Cope seemed nervous, and that made Bella all the more furious, so she offered to do the outdoor chores.

As night fell and dinner was near being served, Charles came home. Rather than settle down, as he usually did, tired from his hard work in the fields, he went straight to Bella, clasping her shoulders.

"Fa. What -"

"Isabella, look at me. Look me right in the eye and you tell me you never witnessed anything in the Cullen house. Tell me they never did anything -"

"Father, no," Bella said, struggling to keep her tone respectful. "I was as surprised as any today to find that witches were not the product of idle imagination, let alone that they walked among us." She swallowed hard, trying to find calm. "The Cullens have never been anything but kind to our family. Please tell me you are not among those who will throw away over a decade of goodness because the minister calls them wicked. They are not wicked in deed, no matter what they are capable of," she parroted Jasper's earlier words.

Charles sat heavily in a chair, wiping his brow. "What I think of the Cullens is irrelevant. It is you I'm concerned for. The minister is questioning any who've associated with the Cullens. He wishes to speak to you on the morrow."

_**~0~**_

Bella had been raised to tell the truth. She'd been taught by the minister himself that the truth was what was right - her duty to her fellow man and to God.

The truth was that she thought the Cullens, whatever they might be, were innocent.

The truth was that she thought the minister's plan to hunt them down like dogs was abhorrent.

The truth was that she figured the minister's deeds were more wicked than the Cullens ever could be.

The minister's questions were designed to confuse her and spike her anger. After hours of questioning, when her head was pounding and she felt furious enough to beat the man bloody, each truth tumbled out of her and away before she could grasp it back.

The instant she shouted the last truth - that she thought Aro was despicable and if he was looking for evil, he only need look as far as a mirror - she could feel the blood drain from her face. The man's stare was so cold, Bella wrapped her arms around her shoulders to ward off the chill, shrinking back.

"Minister..." she stumbled. "I am sorry. I don't know what came over me. You must understand, I am confused. I -"

"I understand quite clearly Isabella," he said, regret leaking into his voice. "You poor child," he murmured, standing and crossing to her. He stroked her cheek, and Bella struggled not to flinch. "Confusion is an obvious byproduct under the circumstances. You probably do not remember what they did to you."

"What?" Bella asked, completely unsure of what the minister might be talking about.

"Felix," Aro called, stepping away from her. "Take her downstairs. We have work yet if we are to save her soul."

"What? No!" Bella cried, but the hulking man, who until then had been standing quietly in the corner, had already gripped her shoulders tight.

Aro bent slightly to look her in the eyes. "Think hard, Isabella. If you know where the Cullens are, they can be brought here to reverse what was done to you. Then we would not have to resort to more...unpleasant methods to rid you of the demons they've plagued you with."

Before she could protest again, Felix pulled her back away from the minister, deeper into the church.

No sooner were they out of the minister's sight than Felix's hold on her became rougher. Worse than the bite of shackles, Felix's fingers were punishing. Though she twisted and turned in his grip, Bella couldn't break free. He only tightened his hold, dragging her through the church. It was absurd that a church basement should hold so much fear, but fear it she did. Neither Irina nor Alice had looked better for having spent time in the musty smelling space.

He shoved her into the narrow doorway ahead of him, hands on her shoulders as he forced her down the rickety stairs. It was dark and Bella was biting her lip hard to keep the little whines at the back of her throat from coming out.

When they were on solid ground, Felix spun her around so they were face to face and pushed her hard against the wall. Bella gasped as her back hit the cold stone behind her. "Don't you know it's wicked to play with witches, little girl?" he taunted, stepping up so his massive body filled all the space in front of her.

He yanked the cap from her head, and Bella gave a little yelp. "Don't touch me!"

Felix laughed, the sound harsh and his breath heavy on her face as he loomed over her. "I know what little girls like you do in your craft. Irina - you remember her, little one?"

Bella swallowed a groan, not wanting to think of the dead girl who had been here before her. She turned her head, intimidated by Felix's presence.

"They found her dancing naked in the forest when she was not but your age." His hand was on her neck, like he was petting a cat on his lap. He sneered. "I kept her safe from arrest, then. For a price."

Bella tried to breathe through a wave of nausea. She whimpered as his hand snaked down her body. "No," she moaned on a breath as he grabbed her hard between her legs. She raised her hands to his chest, trying to push him away but he held her fast. There were several layers of cloth between them, but his rough hands on her were a violation. "Please, Goodman. Whatever sins you think me capable of, my virtue is still intact," she said quickly, trying desperately to keep her calm.

"Liar," Felix growled, his hand rubbing against her hard as his body swallowed the space between them.

"Felix!" Aro's sharp voice called.

With a grumble, Felix quickly dropped his hands and stepped away from her. Immediately, Bella curled inward, rolling to the side so her face was turned into the corner. She worked to slow her breathing, struggling to stop her soft weeping. She was so frightened, understanding plainly what these men of God were capable of.

"My apologies, Minister," Felix said smoothly. "The girl was trying to charm me, and for a moment my thoughts were unclear. Impure."

"That is not true, that is not true!" Bella called, fury overriding her fear as she turned to face them. "I did nothing to invite your advances and in fact bade you to stop at once."

"You would do well to keep your tongue and show your respect, Isabella," Aro said, his voice deceivingly gentle. "Come here."

Knowing she had no choice and obedience would at least give them no concrete excuse to harm her, Bella pushed herself away from the wall. Wrapping her arms around her torso, she breathed deep as she shuffled the few steps to where the minister stood, trying to still her trembling.

He questioned her, asking about the Cullens and whether or not they had poisoned her mind and heart with their witchcraft. He asked repeatedly if she knew where they had disappeared to or how they would take their revenge. It didn't take long for him to grow frustrated as Bella had no answers for him.

"There is evil in you, child," he said, holding her chin. "It stills your tongue and keeps you from loosing these terrible secrets that keep you in sin."

"I know nothing. Minister, I swear it. Do what you may, I cannot tell you something I do not know." That she wouldn't have told him a thing about the Cullens if she did know was a moot point he didn't need to be aware of.

Aro eyed her. "I don't believe you, child. Many in the town were there when you championed Alice Cullen to Maria Whitlock. They said you spoke to your elders in anger." With his free hand, he patted her head condescendingly. "Come now, Isabella. I know you have more manners than that. Surely you understand that young Alice forced her wickedness upon you. If you would only tell me where the Cullens might be hiding and we can correct this most grievous wrong they have done you."

Bella vehemently shook her head, and Aro tightened his grasp on her chin. For a moment, his impatience got the better of him and he raised his hand as if to strike her. Bella flinched backward. He seemed to catch himself and instead studied her intently as the calm, falsely benevolent mask slipped back into place.

"I do not think you are a witch, but they have their hold on you, oh yes. I can drive them out." He stroked the side of her cheek in a fatherly way. "I can make you good again. Do you not want to be in God's good graces again? Do you not want assurance of heaven?"

"I've done nothing wrong," Bella insisted.

Aro sighed. "How like a witch to cast demons inside the most innocent among us. Their wickedness truly knows no bounds." He sighed again and gestured to Felix. "Prepare her. I will be back shortly."

"Minister! No, please!" Bella begged, but Felix had already caught her arms. He wrested her back into the room easily despite her struggles. Her protests cut off as he shoved her face first against the wall.

She heard his deep chuckle and the sound made her skin crawl. Felix was enjoying her discomfort immensely, of that she was sure. Bella gritted her teeth, determined not to let so much as a whimper pass her lips no matter what he did. She would not give him that pleasure.

It was difficult to keep her fear at bay as Felix yanked the ties of her dress loose. She gasped when the fabric tore, the ripping sound loud even in the small room as he bared her back. Bella closed her eyes tightly, leaning her forehead against the cold stone and biting the inside of her cheek so hard she tasted blood in her mouth. His breath was hot on her bare skin and despite her best efforts her body shook with fear.

"Pity we have no time," Felix said, drawing his fingers up and down her back. "I could convince him, you know, to spare you."

Bella was not about to fall into that trap. "You are damned to Hell as surely as I am not," she spat rather than beg his help.

He grabbed both her arms, wresting her away from the wall so harshly that Bella gave a short cry of surprise and pain.

Bella had not noticed the bench that lay in the middle of the room until she was made to lie face down across it. Felix was proficient, tying her arms and legs tight to the legs of the thing. It was beyond uncomfortable, but she figured the large man was not the least bit concerned with her comfort.

When he had bound her tightly, Felix came and knelt at her head. His hands were easy as he brushed her hair forward, off her back, so that it spilled to the floor at the right side of her head. Bella kept her eyes closed, wanting his hands off her more than she'd ever wanted anything.

He chuckled again, and when she felt his lips at her forehead - the kiss chaste and not unlike a brother might bestow on his sister - Bella couldn't help but groan in disgust. But he left then, and there was no noise in the room besides her shuddering breaths.

She was alone only minutes before the door above her opened and measured footsteps descended. Again, Bella bit her lip, her hands gripped around the rope that bound her. When she dared open her eyes, she only saw the minister's black shoes in front of her. Closing her eyes, Bella offered a prayer up to God and waited.

_**~0~**_

Time seemed to be passing in uneven increments.

When she writhed under the minister's lash, time seemed to stretch over years. As he brought the whip down, calling for all demons and otherworldly creatures to abandon her body, Bella held back her screams of agony as long as she was able. But the whip cut into her skin, sending such pain through her body that she could not hold her cries beyond the fifth blow. She sobbed and begged, shame forgotten if it meant he would stop his attack.

Of course, Aro did not stop. His blows were ruthless. He paused only long enough to question her, speaking to the 'demons' that supposedly possessed her. Again he asked about the Cullens - their whereabouts and the extent of their powers. Livid to a point Bella did not know she possessed, she screamed profanities, damning the minister with words that had never before passed her lips. Some part of her recognized that her shrieking, shrill cries, and her wicked words did nothing to disprove Aro's claim that she was bewitched, but Bella could not reclaim a calmer demeanor. Her pleading fell on deaf ears, and as she was driven to the point of complete helplessness, believing without a doubt her death was being eked out slowly and painfully, she'd become enraged.

Her words only brought on another round of the lash, and she screamed herself hoarse. Her body went limp. Eventually, mercifully, the torment was too much, and she succumbed to the welcome darkness of unconsciousness.

Time then became a series of quick moments as her consciousness waned and ebbed. Even when she was vaguely aware, her thoughts were not quite concrete. She knew the minister had put down his whip, but it hardly made a difference. There was no discernible part of Bella's body that didn't throb. From her fingertips to the pads of her toes, she ached, her every muscle having been coiled tight through her ordeal. Her back felt absolutely raw, and some half formed thought made her wonder if the lash had cut straight down to her bones.

When she woke again Bella felt some sort of urgency to listen to the voices around her. She made herself concentrate and let Aro's cold, calculating voice come into focus. "-tie her to the post in the square-"

Terror hit her hard enough to drive breath from her lungs, and the world went out of focus again.

It was her father's voice that brought her back to consciousness next.

"Minister, please." His tone was more ragged than she'd ever heard it. Her heart twisted, hating the pain in his voice. "She will freeze to death in the cold of the night."

She recognized that she was on her knees, her body slumped forward against a wooden post, held up only by virtue of the rope that bound her wrists tightly above her head to the wood. Try as she might, she could find no strength to move and felt a passing frustration that she could not go to her grieving father.

"My heart is heavy with this task, Goodman Swan," Aro said, his tone matching his words. Bella's stomach churned with revulsion at his lies. "The longer the witch's demons are possessed of her soul, the more surely she will languish in the pits of Hell. The Lord will give her strength to survive this night, and the witch's grip on her will be no more. And surely you'll agree Goodman, should God choose to call her to Him, her unfortunate, untimely death would be preferable to a life overrun with the evil she's been poisoned with."

Her father said nothing, but Bella could hear the murmur of the townspeople comforting him and reluctantly agreeing with Aro's logic. After the Cullens' display of magic in the church, they were all running scared.

"Felix, Demetri, and myself will guard her tonight, lest the Cullens return for their pet," Aro further assured, and Bella felt an icy cold stab at her very core.

That was what her torment was about, she realized numbly. No part of her believed that Aro actually thought her possessed by demons. She was bait. Now that he had assured himself she knew nothing of their plans, he trusted that the Cullens would not leave her to die. She was just another part of his witch hunt.

Bella fervently wished they were all safe and far away from his grasp. As much pain as she was in, it was preferable to die if it meant they would live. She prayed for this and prayed for them as unconsciousness took her again.

The next thing she knew was a chill unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. She was freezing, the deadly, biting cold going down to the core of her bones with absolutely no respite. Despite the pain that made it unendurable, her body shook with the strength of her shivers.

She was weak, she recognized, and growing weaker still. Her thoughts were painted around the edges with a sort of madness. Bella wondered if she would die or go out of her mind first. Either way, both fates were encroaching on her quickly. It would not be long.

A moment later she thought madness might have won out as she heard the sound of a knife cutting through rope and the warmth of a whispered voice in her ear. "Hang on, please hang on, Bella."

Her heart, having slowed to an unhealthy pace, gave two thick, quick, ga-lumps against her chest. Bella felt her body slump backward, and strong arms braced her, pulling her up so she was cradled against a wonderfully warm body. Despite the agony that radiated through her from the movement - especially the cloth and his arm scraping against her back - Bella thought he must be an angel there to deliver her to Heaven. Of course her angel would have his voice, his scent. There was no thought in her mind except his name.

Edward.

It took the last bit of strength she had to pry her eyes open. Looking down on her, his face was grim with determination, his hard, sorrowful eyes were nonetheless the most beautiful things she had ever seen. Even if she were out of her mind, she was glad it was the image of his face she got to take with her to Heaven.


	4. Chapter 4

At first, Bella was frightfully certain that against all odds, Aro had been right. A stark contrast to the fiendish cold that consumed her what seemed like only minutes before, she now felt as though physical flames were licking at her body, burning her alive. If she dared to imagine Hell, this would be it - burning while she was unable to move her body or call for help.

There were sounds all around her, but Bella couldn't gather enough concentration to separate the murmur of voices from the noise of movement. At least, she felt she was moving. She felt as if she was flying through the air, in fact. That might have concerned her except that she was distracted by the flames.

Gradually, the movement around her stopped and she felt as if she had been placed upon a flat surface. There were more voices now, all sounding warped and odd. Confused and afraid, she clung to a familiar voice, concentrating until she could finally make out words.

"Fa! Her back... he's carved her flesh," Edward's voice, furious and horrified reached her.

"We have to close these wounds quickly," Carlisle murmured from close by. "Infection has already set in. Her fever is much too high."

Bella vaguely remembered the tiniest measure of relief she'd felt when she found herself bound to the post in the town square. At least, she'd thought, someone had put her in a different dress that covered the wounds Aro had left on her body. As much as her father suffered with her plight, he didn't need to see the marks.

Now, though, the fabric of the dress was stuck to her tender skin, and the pain as Edward and Carlisle stripped the cloth away was incredible. If she'd had any voice left she wouldn't have been able to hold back her screams. As it was, the blackness pulled her under again.

Minutes or hours later, who could tell, Bella writhed, gasping as she was flung into full consciousness when her nude body was submerged in icy water.

"There, there, my girl," a voice murmured, hands trying to calm her. Bella looked around frantically, realizing that Esme and Alice Cullen were on either side of her. "I know it feels so cold," Esme said, her voice sorrowful. "It's because you're too hot. Calm. Calm. We're trying to help you."

Recognizing the truth in her words, Bella tried to quell the frantic feeling that had risen in her. Her body was shaking, but she relaxed as much as she could, letting them tilt her back so all but her face was submerged. It was a whole different kind of hell, and the water made Bella's low moans all the louder in her ears.

Esme and Alice pulled her up again after a moment and Alice clucked as she ran a wet cloth over Bella's face. "We're going to get you clean, too," she said softly. Her eyes were heavy with guilt. "I'm so sorry this happened to you, Bella," she murmured.

Bella didn't have the strength to shake her head or tell Alice not to feel guilty. This was no one's fault but the minister's and his followers. She blamed no one but them. Instead she held her friend's eyes for a beat, hoping she could see the truth there.

As Esme and Alice turned to the task of cleaning her, Bella let her eyes roam, trying to figure out where they were. It was a nondescript building - wood walls, as she would have expected - most homes were made of wood. There was no personal sign that a family lived here, no touch of home. It could have been the low light though. The small space, curtained off so she could bathe in privacy, was lit only by candlelight. There was a small window through which she could see dawn was breaking.

"Almost done, dear," Esme said quietly. "Then we'll get you some blankets."

Without them to support it, Bella's head lolled and she found herself staring down at the water. Even in the dim light she could see it was tinged pink with blood and streaked brown with dirt. Exhausted beyond measure, Bella let her eyes close again.

_**~0~** _

Time passed unevenly between sleeps. One or the other of the Cullens coaxed her awake, urging her to sip water, or a bit of broth, or medicine. Her body vacillated between being so cold no number of blankets could warm her, and being so hot she was certain she was burning in Hell again. The Cullens tended to her as well as if she were one of their own.

Through it all the voice she heard most often was Edward's. There were times she felt so weak that she almost drifted away like a leaf on the wind, but always his voice was there, calling her back, anchoring her to life.

So when Bella opened her eyes, feeling worn but not plagued by fever nor chills, she was hardly surprised to find him sitting in a chair near her bedside. He was asleep, which pleased her. The last time she'd laid eyes on him, he was looking worse for wear and like he hadn't slept in months.

Too exhausted for much else, she merely watched him. She had no way of telling how much time had actually passed, and despite all the questions she had, one memory stood out above every other.

She remembered Jasper's words. Was she truly blind to Edward's intentions? Regardless of how it happened, he had come to save her and had done his best to care for her along with his family. Edward had always been the type to take on more guilt than his actions required. It was just like him to take the responsibility for what Aro had done on his own shoulders.

Was that why he and his family worked so tirelessly to save her? Or was it possible that he cared for her as she cared for him.

If it were him in her place, Bella wouldn't have left his side either.

Eventually, her other needs could not be ignored and encroached on her musing. Her mouth was uncomfortably dry. Looking around, she spotted a cup on the nightstand next to the flickering candle. Taking deep breaths, Bella summoned her strength. It frustrated her to no end, being weak as a newborn fawn.

As she leaned forward, the cup just out of her reach, Bella propped herself up on an elbow. It did not escape her notice that she was shaking with the minor exertion, but she was determined that she could complete a task as simple as retrieving a cup.

Just as her fingers closed around the thing, her wobbling elbow gave out on her. Bella gave a short scream as she tumbled out of bed into a heap on the floor.

"Bella!" Edward cried, waking at her scream and jumping to his feet.

Bella scrambled, trying to pull herself upright. What little strength she had was gone, and her body was wracked with pain. "Edward..." she tried, but her voice was weak.

"Shhh," he hushed her, bending and pulling her up into his arms. He laid her down on the bed as carefully as if she were made of glass. "What were you trying to do?"

Swallowing, Bella tried to breathe through the dizzying pain. "I was... thirsty," she managed finally.

Edward sighed, smoothing her hair out of her face. Picking up the cup, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, helping her sit up enough to sip some of the water. "Slowly," he said quietly as she drank.

"Thank you," she rasped as he settled her back down. The moment his obligation was over, Edward stepped away from the bed, pressing his back against the wall. He wasn't looking at her.

"This is inappropriate. I shouldn't be here in your room. I can wake my sister or my mother, if you prefer," he said to the floor.

Bella furrowed her eyebrows, tired and perplexed. "No, don't wake them. No one needs to watch me. I'm no child," she murmured.

At that he did look up and in the low light Bella could see amusement flicker through his eyes. "You fell out of bed reaching for water, Bella."

She looked away from him, embarrassed. "At least I know now what it takes to get you to call me Bella," she mumbled, her eyelids growing heavy.

A moment passed and Bella was about to slip back to sleep when she thought she felt a gentle hand in her hair. She thought it may have been a dream, the beginnings of a wonderful dream. Then there was a rustle and a firmer pressure against her crown. She imagined he was kissing her hair. "You've always been my Bella," he whispered.

_**~0~** _

When she woke again, Carlisle brought her a cup of something that looked like tea but tasted like tar.

"I know," he said, his tone apologetic when she made a face. "It will help you regain your strength."

"Thank you," she said, dutifully sipping. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing with  _you_ ," he said, his voice tight. "Though to answer your question, you were suffering from infection and shock because of the wounds on your back. You very nearly froze to death and we were hard pressed to get your body the nutrition it needed to regain your strength." He frowned. "It was touch and go for a time, but you should be fine. Right now, the weakness you feel is not from any malady but simply because your body needs time to recover. You should suffer no long term physical consequences from your ordeal."

Bella nodded, relieved to hear this debilitating wariness was only temporary. "Thank you."

Carlisle rested his hand on hers, his eyes unfathomably sad and guilty. "Isabella, I can't tell you how sorry I am -"

"Please, stop," she groaned. "You all speak like you are the ones who hurt me. You did not. You saved me when the good minister would have left me to die." She looked up at him, a little uncertain. "I've not yet figured how, though."

Carlisle grimaced. "If you're feeling well enough, perhaps we should join the family."

Eager, Bella tried to sit up. Carlisle smiled at her. "Rest easy, young one. Will you permit me?" he asked, gesturing with his arms.

"Of course," she said.

He studied her carefully. "You really have no fear of me or mine?" he asked curiously.

Bella looked at him with a confused expression. "What reason have I to fear you?"

"We are witches. Demons of Hell," he said softly.

"Pah," Bella said, waving furiously. "The only demons I know masquerade as men of the cloth. Evil is in deed, and your deeds are far from wicked, no matter what the small minded may call you." She sighed, slightly winded from her tirade. "You saved my life. It's a damned fool who would fear the same people who gave the gift of a second chance. Illogical."

The older man laughed, a little shocked. He smiled gently, stooping and carefully taking Bella into his arms. She winced at the soreness of her body, but didn't complain as he took her out into the main room.

Outside of her room, the little house was bustling. Esme and Alice were at a counter near the hearth, cutting up meat and vegetables for dinner. A woman Bella barely recognized as Emmett Cullen's wife Rosalie, her stomach obviously rounded with child, sat in the living room, sewing quietly. Emmett and Edward sat at a table just off the kitchen. They all looked up when Carlisle stepped into the room with her.

"There you are, Little Bell," Emmett said, grinning at her. He chuckled.

Carlisle settled her on a little couch, and Esme joined them, pulling a blanket from near the hearth and wrapping it around the young girl. "Bella wants to hear our story," Carlisle explained to his family. "I think she deserves that."

They gathered, filling the small room with their presence. Edward came to sit on the floor, his back against the couch near her.

Carlisle began first, telling her the basics. Magic was something they were born into. Spells could be worked by a combination of ingredient, spoken word, or, in some cases, simple thought, but only by those with magical prowess.

"It seems we all have a special talent," Carlisle said. "A proficiency, if you will, as one might be more skilled in one school subject versus another. Mine is with herbs and medicines."

Alice sat up on her knees, putting a mirror in Bella's hands. "Would you like to see your father?"

"What?" Bella asked, a little wary. "Of course."

Closing her eyes, Alice passed her hand over the the mirror, murmuring a few words under her breath. Edward, a concerned look in his eyes, put his hand on Bella's arm. Biting her lip, Bella looked down at the mirror.

It had turned hazy, and Bella gasped at what she saw in the fog. It took her another moment still to figure out that the image was moving. "Fa..." she breathed, her heart breaking.

In the fog, she saw her father bent with his head in his hands. He listed as if he was very drunk, which judging from the jug of brown liquid in front of him, was likely accurate. Sitting at his side was William Black, one of his weathered hands on Charles's shoulder.

"I am sorry," Alice said softly, taking the mirror from her. "That is a vision of the near future. I know your father grieves for you, but he has the support of the community and his friends. Until we find a way to let him know you live, he is well taken care of," she said soothingly.

"How did you do that?" Bella asked, trying to breathe past the pain that gripped her heart.

"Scrying is what the practice is called, and I seem to have a particular talent for it."

"It is how we knew to go back for you," Edward said softly. "Alice's own fever had barely broken before she was asking for her mirror."

"I wasn't nearly as bad off as you," Alice added.

"No," Edward said, his voice furious again. "Aro took out his frustration and his impotence against us on you."

"He hates all of you," Bella murmured. "Why?"

Edward's bark of laughter was raw and he looked away, clenching his hand against his knee.

"You know of Aro's young son, Alec?" Carlisle asked.

"Of course."

"Well I attended his birth. His mother gave birth to twins that evening," Carlisle said, looking at her steadily. "Witch twins."

Bella gasped. "My God."

"Aro knew I knew what they were," Carlisle continued. "What he didn't know was how, though he had his suspicions. He has long considered me dangerous to his family because I knew his secret." He sighed. "Though I helped him hide away his girl, and I've treated her when... well. When madness overtakes her. Poor child. Aro has never trusted me."

"It was only a matter of time before he found an excuse," Bella murmured, putting it all together. "And that is why he went after accused witches as he did."

"Yes," Edward said. "He believed it would keep suspicion away from his own family. Witchcraft runs in his blood as well. He has lived his life in fear of being discovered."

Bella turned her head to look at him. "And your talent? What is it?"

He smiled slightly. "I hear whispers in my ear. They tell me the thoughts of those around me. As time goes on, I've learned to control it somewhat, but mostly the whispers are random."

"Oh!" Bella exclaimed, looking down suddenly. "You hear thoughts. Everyone's thoughts?"

"Everyone's," he confirmed, but ducked his head to catch her eye. "That is, apart from yours."

She blinked at him. "I don't understand."

"I've never heard your thoughts, Bella," he murmured. "Believe me, it is a matter that has kept me quite perplexed for years. You are the only one like that for me."

"Is there something wrong with me?" she asked.

The family around her all laughed.

"You are a unique human being, Isabella Swan," Edward said, looking away from her, but not before she saw the adoring smile on his face.

_**~0~** _

Edward was careful only to touch Bella when he was playing the part of doctor.

Still, though in his work with his father he'd seen many nude bodies, somehow having Bella's back exposed to him seemed risque. "You are sure you don't want to wait for my father to get home? Or I could have my mother -"

"I feel safe with you," Bella said softly. "Unless... am I so hideous?" She shifted her hair, letting it fall down her back again.

"Oh, Bella," he murmured. With gentle movements, he pushed her hair back over one shoulder. He stroked his fingers against her neck, needing to comfort her more than he needed to observe any rules. He sighed.

"I confess, I'm torn over how to answer," he murmured as he undid the dressings that covered her wounds. "It disgusts me that this was done to you. How heinous that someone could do this to a fellow human being.  _That_  is hideous: what Aro and his brethren are capable of." Edward forced himself to take a deep breath, wanting to show her neither his tears nor his fury.

"You, however, are very comely. There's nothing about you nor any part of you that would ever disgust me." As he spoke, he dipped a clean cloth into his mortar where his father had mixed a healing paste. Carefully, he began to apply the paste to her wounds. She shivered, her breath catching, but she didn't whine. "With this mixture and time, your scars will not be so vivid. That aside, honestly Bella, they are a mark of your courage and strength. For that, anyone who thinks any part of you is hideous is simply not worthy to look on you at all."

Bella was silent as he redid her dressings. "Thank you," she said finally, quietly, turning to face him when her dress was buttoned again.

For a moment he just looked on her, wanting so much to kiss her. Instead, he smiled. "I speak only the truth," he answered. "Now, you should rest."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I think he likes her. Just a guess.
> 
> How you doin' out there in fic land? Enjoying? You should check out the rest of the fics written for this event. The community is in the first chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

The Cullens and Bella passed the winter in their hideaway cabin deep in the wild woods. It wasn't as hard as Bella imagined - living away from any kind of town. The Cullens kept the cabin warm with their magic, and though the living was a little cramped, they all managed.

After her fever broke, Bella regained her strength quickly, and eagerly began to pull her weight. The family spoke little of the future, as uncertain as it was. They knew they would move on from the cabin come springtime, but to where they knew not. Before they could think of resettling, they needed a story.

"When we came from England to Forkshire, we told the story that our parents had exiled us for being too young when we married," Carlisle mused. "But that was half truth."

Bella mostly stayed quiet, feeling badly that they had inherited her: another complication, another mouth to feed. Any time she'd expressed this opinion, they'd all hurried to silence her worries. She did not blame them for her circumstances, that the minister had judged her guilty by her mere association with them. She was banished from Forkshire as surely as they were. It only made sense for them all to stick together.

So Bella did whatever chores and projects she was bidden without complaint. It was pleasant enough. The womenfolk stuck close to home while the men hunted. Carlisle and Edward traveled to close by towns every week or so. They peddled their wares and kept an ear out for rumors from Forkshire, also listening to any news of towns in need of a doctor.

It was nice to have such a large family on most days.

It was hard to be in poor spirits around Emmett, as Bella well remembered. He was constantly cheerful, and whenever any of the family became frustrated with their displacement, he was quick to distract them with amusing anecdotes.

Certainly, Esme and Alice were very in tune with Bella's emotions on the hard days. Bella missed her father and Widow Cope. Of everything her life had become, she regretted most that her father could not know that she was safe. From what Alice saw, Charles vacillated between believing that the Cullens had claimed her soul and feeling that they had rescued her from certain death.

"We will find a way to let him know you're alive before we leave the area," Esme promised softly.

"Don't you miss Jasper?" Bella asked one day when Alice caught her crying behind the wood pile.

"Of course. Every day," Alice said, hugging Bella tightly. "But he will find us before we are ready to leave. This I'm sure of."

"You've seen it?" Bella asked, curious.

"No," Alice answered, smiling serenely. "I just know."

Edward also did his best to cheer her on those days, though she may have mistaken his giving mood for him showing off. Still, she loved it when he would lean close to the hearth, stoking a fire to full flame by blowing lightly on the dry wood. Once, when she was outside, he sent a snow flurry swirling around her with a wave of his hand.

Always he would look at her, his eyes bright and mischevious - happy despite the circumstances they found themselves in. When he looked at her like that, Bella needed no fire to make her feel warm from head to toe.

**~0~**

As days turned into weeks, Bella got bolder with her questions. She was endlessly curious about their abilities.

It amazed Edward continually that she never seemed frightened of what they were capable of. Rather, when she watched them perform some bit of magic, her eyes would grow wide and wondering.

"How did you disappear from the courtroom?" she asked the family one day at dinner.

"That's called apparition, and it's not very easy to do," Alice said, chuckling.

"The main ingredient in that spell is adrenaline," Edward explained.

"I believe that is the origin of the myth that witches fly about on sticks. If you were not careful, and in a harrowing situation, it would be normal to panic, you might apparate straight up into a tree," Carlisle theorized, looking amused.

"But, we long ago agreed on a safe location. Rosalie was sent ahead, for the sake of the child of course. Then we just had to get outside," Edward continued.

"There was enough adrenaline to spare, that we could bring Emmett and Esme with us," Carlisle concluded.

"How did you rescue me?" she asked Edward another day, helping him skin that morning's kill of small game.

Edward spared her a glance and a sigh. He'd known she would ask sooner rather than later. "It was easier than it should have been," he admitted with a scoff. "If Aro bothered to embrace his childrens' heritage, his own heritage, he would know so much more about how we work.

"It was the three of them against three of us. We put Emmett under a glamour - which is to say we made him appear as a very scantily clad young lady and let him draw Felix away," he admitted., scowling with disgust

He pursed his lips, searching for the right words to explain. "Zafrina is the woman who told my father what he was. She has the ability to project whole different realities into people's eyes - make them see what she wants them to see."

"That has the potential to be a very powerful gift," Bella murmured.

"Yes. She taught my father how to project and he taught me. We're not capable of anything nearly as impressive as she. It took a great deal of concentration but we were able to make Aro and Demetri see your body floating away, into the trees," he said. "Then it was simple for me to get to you..." His eyes fluttered closed. He hated that he had to hold onto the memories of her limp body against the wood post, only upright by the rope he could see biting into the skin of her wrists. He opened his eyes, automatically looking at her wrists where he could still see the faint scars where the rope had rubbed blood out from under her skin.

"That ... is quite astounding."

Edward laughed hanging his head and rubbing the back of his neck.

"Will you show me?" she asked softly.

He tilted his head, looking at her with a bemused smile on his face. "It wouldn't frighten you? Seeing things I put in your head? What if I put something... untoward there?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "Edward Cullen, would you do that?"

"Of course not."

"Of course not," she repeated. "Then what do I have to worry about?"

"Fine," he said, still smiling. "Let's get these inside to Mother first."

They took the meat and skins inside, cleaning up the mess - including themselves. When they were less gruesome, Edward looked around. When he was sure no one was watching, he took her hand, watching to see that she was not offended. She only smiled shyly, seeming pleased.

He lead her outside, guiding her to sit on one of the stumps behind the house. He came to stand behind her, adjusting her cloak to keep the chill away. "Close your eyes," he said softly, bending to rest his head against hers.

Her breath caught, but she did what he asked. Edward concentrated on the hill in front of them, trying not to get distracted by the way Bella felt in his arms, her back brushing lightly against him. "Open your eyes," he directed.

She did and gasped. "Edward," she whispered, completely stunned. "It's so beautiful."

It wasn't so hard to conjure an image of vivid blue and purple flowers against the white snow of the hill. It was harder to keep up the illusion when she reached back, her hand finding his, but somehow, he managed.

**~0~**

Just after the Yuletide season, Rosalie gave birth to a boy child the couple named Henry. It was the first birth Bella had ever witnessed outside of the colts and kittens at home.

"It was a thousand times more terrifying than anything I've ever seen," Bella confessed to Edward with a whisper afterward. She sighed then, a private smile on her lips. "But when all was over, and she held the babe for the first time..." She shook her head. "For all the darkness we've seen, it seemed that in that moment, all was right in the world."

It was a welcome change to their little household. The new baby was proof that life went on. Despite everything, it went on. Everyone in the house was completely smitten with the child. He brought a new hope to the family, and they could all see that they would be fine again. They would all live like normal people again.

_When will he finally give in and ask her?_

Edward looked at his elder brother, startled out of deep thought. "What do you mean? Ask her what?"

Emmett looked confused for a moment, then annoyed. "Picking thoughts out of my head, Brother? You may not like what you hear there."

"You know I can't always help it. What did you mean by your thought?"

His brother just laughed. "Edward, I see the way you look at Little Bell when she's holding my son," he said, nodding in the direction of the main room, where Bella sat with the baby in her arms. "For reasons I cannot begin to guess, she dotes on you and watches you when she thinks you aren't looking, as you watch her. You may consult with Alice, but I think if you ask her to be your wife, she will say yes."

Edward waved his hand dismissively. "I cannot think of that," he insisted.

"Why not?" Emmett challenged.

Edward could think of nothing to say.

**~0~**

Spring was almost on them, and a destination settled upon when one day, Emmett and Edward went out to hunt for dinner and came back with a bedraggled looking Jasper in tow. They soon learned that as soon as he was well enough to travel, he'd stolen away in search of their family and his Alice.

The scars of the wounds he'd suffered many months previous were still pink, though they were fading with age. Still, as tired and scruffy as he looked, when he saw Alice, it was as if he had all the strength in the world. He strode to her, taking her in his arms without guilt that her parents watched.

"I'm sorry if I worried you, my sweet, sweet girl," he whispered, his lips against her forehead.

"I was never worried. Not for a moment," she said, clinging to him as if she would never let him go.

The family began to finalize plans for their move to the south, far out of Aro's reach. Bella knew it was then or never and took Edward aside one day.

"I don't believe I am a fool, Edward Cullen." she began, not looking at him but worrying her hands inside her apron.

"Of course you're not," Edward said, completely perplexed by the direction of the conversation.

"Then tell me true," she bade him, looking him in the eye with all seriousness. "Do you care for me as a sister or as something more?"

Edward blinked, obviously surprised.

"Oh, I know. As these things go, I should show myself to be more biddable and not so forward. But my time dwindles, and I find that I cannot help but speak my mind," she said, going back to wringing her hands. "If we travel south and I pose as your parents' ward, it would be seen as unseemly - unnatural - if we were ever to..."

"Bella," Edward breathed when she did not continue. "What are you trying to say?"

Bella breathed deep and sought to still her nerves. "I am saying... it would be my preference, when we travel south, to do so as your wife or your betrothed, rather than your sister," she said to her hands. "That is... if I please you."

For many too long moments, there was naught but silence. Then, as Bella was about to rise and go back in the house, Edward slid off his seat. He knelt at her feet, looking up at her with eyes that betrayed all the adoration and tenderness Bella had so longed for. His hands came up, resting over hers, quieting her nervous movements.

"Isabella Swan," he said, his voice fervent and strong. "I have no words for how much I care for you, for how I've always cared for you. I love you. I have since we were very young."

"It is because I love you that I know... How could I ever be what you deserve?" he asked, his tone turning desperate. "Once, I imagined I could provide for you, but you've seen for yourself - I cannot give you a stable home. What life could I bring you? One where you might be hunted down like a monster by the very people who, for decades, called themselves your friends and neighbors? My father saved the life of Aro's entire family, and yet the man still saw fit to torture you simply for your acquaintance to us."

Unable to take any more, Bella slid down onto her knees beside him, still holding his hands fiercely. "Oft you have told me what kind of husband I deserve. Yes, perhaps if we settle down, some man in the village will take fancy to me, and make me his wife. But Edward, think. Would he listen to a woman like me who speaks perhaps more plainly than she should?"

Edward looked down, unable to look her in the eye. "You would not consent to a marriage if it did not suit you."

"And on my wedding night, when my husband takes me to bed? How will I explain the marks on my back? Criminals, sinners, and wit -" she cut herself off, bringing one hand to her lips.

"Criminals, sinners and witches are whipped," he finished, his now free hand clenching with rage.

"Yes," Bella said quietly. "And that is what my husband would see, when he got me out of my clothes. You. You see strength."

"And beauty," Edward added. "Bella, you are so beautiful."

"Do you understand, I cannot go back to a normal life," she continued, her voice remarkably steady. "You have shown me a whole other world. I cannot pretend I didn't see it. Edward, if you ask, I will take on this life with you." She released his hand to touch his hair, lowering her voice to a tender, more intimate tone. "Do you understand how long I've cared for you? Before all of this and since, when I looked to my future, it has always been you I've wanted."

He studied her face, her eyes, seeing nothing but determination and a mirror of the emotion he felt for her. He raised his hands, cupping her face. "You stubborn, beautiful, wonderful girl." He sighed and leaned his forehead against hers. "Bella, I... I wish I could do everything as is proper. I would ask your father -"

"I am a woman grown," Bella interrupted him. "I am capable of answering for myself."

He laughed, pressing feather light kisses across the bridge of her nose. "Isabella Swan. I have never wanted, nor will I ever want anyone else but you," he said finally, clutching her hands with his. "Would you do me the honor... would you consent to be my wife?"

She giggled, giddy with the happiness of the moment and breathless with elation. "Yes. Yes, I will."

He kissed her then, his lips joyous as they moved against hers. To others, it may have seemed an odd kiss - they were both laughing too much to keep their mouths together for more than a few seconds here and there - but for Edward and Bella, knowing it was the first of a lifetime of kisses - it was perfect.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: One more little chappie. I hope you've enjoyed so far. I've really enjoyed writing it.


	6. Chapter 6

**~1 Year On~**

Edward blinked awake, pulled from a peaceful dream into the grey light of the very early dawn. He stretched a little, noting the morning air was cool. He pulled his arms back under the warmth of the covers rolling onto his side.

How could he help his smile at the sight that greeted him?

A year before, the Cullen family, along with Bella and Jasper, had traveled south to Virginia, settling in a small port town where the local doctor had taken ill and died. Happy to have their medical expertise, the town gladly gave over the doctor's old home, which Carlisle and Esme gave over to Edward and Bella as a wedding present.

Emmett and Carlisle had purchased a large farm house just outside of town. There was more than enough room to accommodate Emmett's growing family, the elder Cullens and the newlywed Whitlocks while they got on their own feet. Over the last year, Jasper had just about earned enough money to buy his own plot of land.

Always lingering in the back of Edward's mind was the fact that it could all be swept away so quickly. He sighed, pushing away the darker thoughts as he looked on his sleeping wife and smiled again.

As much as he worried for her safety, Bella also made him feel as though he could take on anything the world threw at them. She was his true match, a partner in his life, always there to support his needs and decisions. No matter what the topic, she was involved. They'd spent so many evenings holding hands over the table, talking through every issue from his losing a patient to what vegetables they should grow in their little garden.

The dawn would soon break and they would both have to be up and about their full days. Using that train of thought, he felt less guilty about pulling his body close to hers. Slowly, he began to kiss her, starting with the very tip of her nose, down across each cheek and lightly against her fluttering eyelashes.

"Mmm," she gave a soft moan as he kissed her awake. "Edward."

At that, his smile grew only wider. He would never tire of hearing his name fall from her lips. He would never be anything but thankful that he got to see her like this: angelic in her sleep. Once, it had been only a dream that he would get to hold her and kiss her, but now the life he'd thought could only be fantasy was his.

As Bella came more awake, her hands fluttered to his face before she opened her eyes. She began to return his kisses, stroking his cheek with one hand as she curled closer to him. Her sleepy smile was adoring. "My husband," she whispered softly, kissing the tip of chin.

"My wife," he returned, pressing forward so she was on her back and he leaning over her. He kissed her more thoroughly, delighting in the little, sighing noises he was able to elicit from her.

She laughed as he moved to her neck, his whiskers tickling her sensitive skin. "Hark, my love. The cock crows, and it is time to rise and greet a new day," she said, though her hands against his back only pulled him closer.

"You've mixed up your words, wife," he rumbled against her throat. "The cock rises and it is all the more reason to stay abed." As he spoke, he pressed his hips against her, in case she questioned what he wanted.

She groaned and laughed. "You are wicked, husband."

For long minutes there was only the sound of the creaking bed and the rustle of cloth being pushed up or discarded entirely. Soon they were skin to skin, and Edward was sliding inside of her. He stilled a moment, resting his head against hers while he reveled in the warmth and completeness he felt.

Then he began to move in her, his pace quick because she was right - a new day beckoned and it would not be the first time an early patient interrupted their intimacy. He took care to kiss her passionately, loving the way her moans and cries vibrated against his lips. Her legs wrapped around his waist, urging him deeper.

He released her lips and reached up to hold on to the bed post, thrusting hard and fast into her. Her hands were everywhere - in his hair, on his shoulders - her nails scraping along his back. Though the covers had long ago fallen down around them, Edward didn't feel the chill of the room.

Bella cried out first, biting into the skin of his shoulder as her small frame shuddered against his. Edward's grin then was smug. The first time this had happened to them, they were both worried, neither one of them ever having heard that a woman could experience such pleasure in the marital bed. After a somewhat embarrassing conversation with his father and brother, Edward had been reassured that it could be normal - and in Emmett's opinion should be normal. They'd collectively decided that the idea a woman could not experience the same pleasure they did was something invented by men who could not accomplish the feat.

Edward had an average that both he and Bella were pleased with.

With a few more thrusts, Edward cried out with his release. He collapsed against his wife, catching his breath as she drew her hands up and down the moist skin of his back. When he shivered, she clucked worriedly, drawing the blankets up around them.

Minutes later they were still cuddled together and the sun was growing more present outside their window. Edward grumbled. "You make me lazy, Bella," he teased, kissing her sweetly.

"Ha!" she said, smiling at him. "Get up, lazy husband. You've a family to provide for." She kissed him tenderly. "Go on, and I shall bring you some bread to break our fast."

He sighed, kissing her once more before he got up to face the day.

**~Six Months On~**

It was a relatively slow day until one of the little boys from the village burst into their clinic, yelling.

"Doc! Doc!"

Carlisle stooped to the boy's level, his hands on his shoulders. "Slow, Benjamin. What's wrong?"

The boy was breathing hard, having obviously run a long way. "A ship came in the harbor today. They've several on board suffering of a great fever. They bade me run and fetch you."

"Thank you, little one," Carlisle said gravely, standing. "Now hurry on. You needn't be around the sick."

Already, Edward was taking down the medicines they might need and throwing them quickly into their bags. Within a minute, they were both running out the door toward the docks.

~0~

Bella hummed to herself as she worked in the house, making a mental list. Summer was giving way to fall, and there was much to be done to prepare for the long winter months. There were fruits and vegetables to jar and -

A knock distracted her thought process. Wiping her hands on her apron, Bella went to see who was calling.

When she opened the door, her breath left her. She thought it must be some trick of the light, or perhaps she'd fallen asleep and was now dreaming. It appeared to her as if her father stood on her stoop, though she thought that had to be impossible.

"Isabella?" he whispered, his normally gruff, strong voice no more than a whisper.

"Fa?" she choked out, her eyes instantly filling with tears. She threw herself forward, into his arms without another moments hesitation. "Fa!" she cried again, hugging him as tightly and fiercely as she was able.

His arms wrapped around her instantly but only for a moment before he took a step back. He did not let go her shoulders, but looked down with wide eyes at her middle.

"Oh!" Bella exclaimed, realizing belatedly that of everything, her very pregnant belly must be the biggest shock. "Come in, Fa. There is much to talk about."

~0~

Evening found them all gathered at the Cullens' farm. It turned out that Charles was on the ship that had sailed from the north. He'd come to peddle his wares as well as to find out if Virginia could offer a better life for his family.

It seemed that after the Cullens' and Bella's disappearance, Charles had taken great solace in the company of a recently widowed woman named Susan. It was a good match, it seemed. Charles was not at all certain that the Cullens were as evil as the minister made them out. In any event, he had no choice but to hope that the minister's claims of their wickedness were severely exaggerated, else he would never sleep for imagining what his daughter might be suffering among the demons. Susan's deceased husband had died of a wound that was treatable had Forkshire not chased off their very skilled doctor and his son, and so they could commiserate on their wary attitude toward Aro.

The two had married quickly, and Susan brought with her two children - Leah and Seth. Charles admitted that he no longer felt his family was safe in Forkshire, the atmosphere of fear and suspicion having corrupted the town at the core.

When the doctors came running to the docks, Charles had been shocked to recognize Carlisle Cullen and his son. He'd grabbed Edward's arm, wild to know with certainty what had happened to his daughter.

Covering his own surprise quickly, Edward had looked at him with pleading eyes as he gave him directions to a house in the village. Charles had let him go, promising silently not to loose the Cullens' secret until he saw what was waiting at the house. Of course, he'd found his daughter there, not only alive but thriving and happy. She was no longer the little girl of his memories but a woman with a household of her own to run, her apron swelling out over the babe that grew in her belly.

It was hard for Charles to wrap his head around the truth of the matter - that witchcraft did exist and that his daughter lived among those that practiced it. But like his daughter, he was more prone to judge deeds before nature.

Carlisle graciously offered him Jasper and Alice's old room while he made preparations to bring his family South. Esme even suggested he stay long enough to see his first grandchild born.

"It seems so unjust," Charles said when all plans were settled. "Since your departure, the minister has put another woman and two young men to death." He shook his head. "He is a monster, but the town sees him as their deliverer."

"Rest easy, Charles," Alice soothed. She shifted her one month old baby girl into her husband's arms and stood, going to fetch her mirror. She laid it down on the table, waving her hand over it. The mirror clouded and an image of the future appeared in the mists.

It was the minister and two teens, a boy and a girl, in shackles, all looking bedraggled.

"Thanks to the minister, the citizens of Forkshire know the true signs of witchery. They will not be forgiving when they find out about the girl - Jane." Alice said in a flat tone. "He has succeeded in destroying his family. I believe it will spread to his brothers and Felix as well beefore it runs its course. Sometimes I see it going further - to their wives."

"Such needless waste of human life," Edward growled lowly. "I should have killed Aro and Felix alone while I still had the chance."

"Killing in revenge is not the same thing as killing in self defense," his father reminded. "It would only have caused more problems for us."

"You're needed here," Bella added, her hand on his arm.

The family was silent for a long moment at that. It was a sad sort of relief that settled over them. Relief that they at least needn't fear that shadow of their past but sadness that it would end with more death.

Carlisle cleared his throat, reaching out to take his wife's hand. At his other side, he clapped Charles's shoulder. "Thanks to God, that we know how precious life is, and that we are not among those who seek only its destruction. I cannot see that the lives of those who are so quick to judge are as full and bright as ours."

Bella reached out to take her father's hand as Edward wrapped his arm about her shoulders, his other hand splayed tenderly over their growing child. She bent her head toward her husband, agreeing with Carlisle's words entirely.

Their future was indeed bright, and any hardships that challenged them, they would weather the storm together, stronger because they were a family.

~The End~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Awww. That was fun! I'm glad you enjoyed it if you're still with me.
> 
> Thanks once again to jfka06, barburella, jadedandboring and albymangroves.
> 
> Quick note now that I have your attention.
> 
> I've signed up for the Fandom Gives Back auction which ends at midnight this Wednesday. If you're interested in bidding, I'm offering a o/s or outtake of your choice. Anything at all (though I have a hard limit when it comes to Carlisle or the Wolves in sexual situations :-p ). You can bid on me or any one of the talented authors offering up stories for a good cause.
> 
> thefandomgivesback.blogspot.com / 2011 / 11 / lyricalkris-ff-auction . html
> 
> Dear Fates - I hope you enjoyed. Thanks so much for the fun prompts!


End file.
